Chapter 274 Night Intrusion
“You’ve only just started working at the company, and you’re already slacking off. What gives you the right to come and question me? Moreover, none of the company’s shareholders have come to talk to me about this matter, so on what grounds do you question me?”
Zachary wore a look of disdain as he taunted, “Do you actually believe that your rights now surpass those of all the company’s shareholders?”
Madelyn’s expression turned rather unpleasant.
This seasoned veteran had hit the nail on the head with every word, leaving no room for rebuttal. For a moment, Madelyn was at a loss for words. In the end, with no response to give, she had no choice but to turn around and leave in silence.
Upon returning to her father’s office, Madelyn didn’t dwell on the matter at hand. She continued as usual, focusing on her studies and doing what needed to be done.
As for Derek, he didn’t question why his daughter hadn’t been to the company for the past couple of days. He thought she might have gone somewhere with Sebastian, her significant other. Besides, he was more than relieved that she was willing to come to the company to learn and had such a serious attitude. As a father, he couldn’t have asked for more.
As the day gradually turned into night, it was soon time to clock out. After a collective stretch to relieve their fatigue, the colleagues began to file out of the office one by one.
It wasn’t until all the lights in the company were turned off that Madelyn finally crawled out from under the desk.
A pair of bright, clear eyes shimmered in the darkness. Once Madelyn was certain that the entire company was empty, she stealthily made her way to the company’s entrance.
Meanwhile, Josiah and Tristan had already been waiting downstairs. Madelyn waved at them, and Josiah led the group over to her. Tristan, however, stayed where he was, making a gesture to his eyes, indicating that he would keep watch from his spot.
Madelyn gave a nod, then proceeded to lead the group inside.
“Do you guys have any cameras or something around here?” After stepping inside, Josiah looked around with a touch of concern.
“Don’t worry,” Madelyn assured confidently. “I’ve already cut off the power supply to the company’s surveillance room. We won’t be recorded. Once we’ve set up the pinhole cameras, we should leave immediately.” She wasn’t foolish enough to let any of this be captured on film.
“That’s good.” Josiah nodded.
Following Madelyn’s lead, the group arrived outside the finance department. Madelyn reached out to open the door, only to find that it had been locked from the inside, rendering it immovable.
“It seems we’re locked out.” Madelyn couldn’t help but feel a bit annoyed, chiding herself. “It’s all my fault for being careless. The finance department is the core of the company and is always guarded with caution. Forget about entering the finance manager’s office; it must be securely locked. I might have made this trip for nothing!”
The men Josiah had brought along scoffed. “Who said this trip was a waste?”
“Exactly! We’re famously skilled locksmiths. There’s no lock in the world that could stump the two of us,” one of the bystanders chimed in.
Madelyn was surprised. “Could it be that you are…?”
Rumors had been circulating in the city about a pair of genius locksmith brothers. They were naturally gifted in the art of lock-picking, with no lock in the world, be it on a coded safe or otherwise, that could escape their all-purpose key. Could it be that Tristan had actually managed to enlist their services?
“You’ve guessed right. It’s us,” one of them said. “Now, would you kindly step aside? I’ll take care of opening this door.”
Madelyn quickly stepped aside to make room for the man.
He managed to use some sort of silvery thread or something similar and inserted it directly into the lock of the finance department. Following a few peculiar twists and turns from the person, Madelyn heard the sound of the door opening. She couldn’t help but inwardly commend the individual for truly living up to his reputation.
And so, with the combined efforts of these two locksmiths, the finance department and Zachary’s office were effortlessly broken into.
Then, as planned, the group began to set up the pinhole cameras.
Although it was true that pinhole cameras were inherently hard to detect, that didn’t mean they left no trace at all. That was why Madelyn deliberately had the cameras installed in discreet locations to prevent them from being discovered.
Madelyn and Josiah were not idle either. While the locksmiths were busy installing the pinhole cameras, the two seized the opportunity to sneak into Zachary’s office. They thoroughly searched the place, hoping to find any information related to the overlooked account.
Perhaps it was due to his military family background that Josiah was naturally endowed with a sense of acuity beyond the average person. After casually flipping through some documents on the table, Josiah’s gaze suddenly fixated on a drawer.
To be precise, it was the faint glow emanating from within the drawer that had piqued his interest.
Unable to resist his curiosity, Josiah pulled open the drawer. As suspected, there was a hidden compartment within. The faint glimmer he had noticed earlier was indeed coming from the switch of this secret compartment.
“Come take a look.” Josiah felt something odd and immediately beckoned Madelyn to his side. “Doesn’t this thing resemble a safe?”
Upon hearing this, Madelyn immediately walked over. With just one glance, she made an instantaneous decision. “This doesn’t just resemble a safe – it is a safe!”
"But this safe doesn’t seem that big. What could it possibly hold?” Josiah questioned. The safe appeared thin and didn’t seem like it could store much. It might not even be able to hold a few tens of thousands in cash.
Madelyn, however, shook her head. “Don’t underestimate this safe. Although it can’t hold much, it’s the latest model designed specifically for storing important documents. Typically, only government agencies use this kind. The aim is to ensure the utmost confidentiality of the most private files.”
“If I’m not mistaken,” Madelyn cautiously said, “the billing information for that overlooked project should all be in here.”
Upon hearing this, Josiah gave a subtle nod. He then scrutinized the safe, expressing his concern in a slightly vexed tone, “But the password for this thing looks incredibly complex. Our people won’t be able to crack it in such a short time.”
Madelyn, of course, understood the complexity of the situation, hence her sense of helplessness.
Just then, Tristan’s urgent voice blared through the walkie-talkie, piercing the silence, “Quick, hide! Someone’s coming back!”
Instantly, Madelyn glanced out the window, and just her luck, the person who returned was none other than Zachary!
Her heart immediately sank. Madelyn quickly alerted the others, “Stop what you’re doing! Someone’s coming. Hurry up and hide after closing the door!”
Upon hearing those words, everyone was startled. They immediately restored everything to its original state before climbing out of the window.